Imagine, Israel vs. the PLO in the 70s, 80s: a near-even death ratio, European sympathy with the Palestinians to the point that real terrorists could hijack planes and land them in places like Italy with the PM’s (Craxi’s) endorsement. Now, they just ignore the PLO, allow Hamas to take Gaza, take their own people out, and blow it to Hell every couple years. Nobody wants to appear sympathetic to Hamas, even though in their actions they are ostensibly less terroristic (or at least less successful terrorists) than the PLO, much less than the PFLP/DFLP/PLF. They’ve brought suicide bombs to a trickle and blow some cruddy homemade rockets out of proportion. And everyone is afraid of Hamas because they appear on TV with big beards and kalashnikovs screaming ‘Allah’.